Bottle holder



Sept. 5, 1939.

H. K. POWELL BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Oct. 21, 1937 Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to holders or containers for the packaging and transportation of bottles or similar articles.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of an improved holder or container which can be formed of paper board, or similar sheet material, as a single unitary blank, with minimum loss or waste of material, and which can be packaged and shipped in flat knockeddown condition, and can be set up by the user quickly and with facility and without requiring the use of special apparatus or additional fastenings, and which, when so set up, will have suitable strength and stability to retain a plurality of bottles or'the like securely, ailord them desirable protection, and permit their being carried with convenience.

Another object is the provision of a holder or container having the characteristics specified above and which holds its desired form when empty and thus facilitates the placing of bottles or similar articles in it, and also permits either some or all of the contained articles to be removed from it without necessitating any mutilation of it or involving its being disassembled or collapsed.

Another object is the provision of a holder or container having the characteristics specified above and which, with its contents oi bottles, or the like, constitutes a package which is well adapted to stacking and to packing, with others of like kind, in-a crate or packing case.

Other and further objects ;of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will as be apparent upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments herein shown and described. For purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention l show in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter described, one form in which it may be embodied. It is to be understood, however, tint this is presented merely for purpom of illustration and is not to be construed in any fashion calculated to limit the appended claims short of the 45 true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing,

Fig. l is aperspective view of a. holder or container embodying the invention, same being 50 shown in assembled condition: a

Fig. 2 is a vertical section transversely through the same with a partition element in place;

Fig.3isaplanviewofahlank,representing the container in its disassembled or flat form;

and

I5, and top panel i6.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a partition element which may be employed in the container.

'lhe illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing will now be described.

The holder or container shown is formed from '5 a sheet of paper board or other suitable material by cutting into a blank such as illustrated in Fig. 3. This is slotted and creased to provide a bottom panel III which, at its opposite margins, defined by creases a, is conjoined with side sec- 10 tions, which side sections respectively comprise a lower side panel ll, an upper side panel l5, and top panel Ii, on the one side, and on the other side, a lower side panel ll, an upper side panel Greases d define the II Junction lines of the lower and upper side panels, and creases e define the juncton lines of the top and upper side panels.

At one end of the bottom panel It the blank is formed with a girth section which comprises an 9 end wall panel I! which remains integral with the bottom panel Ill along crease l ne b, side wall panels 2|] and 2B, which are integral with panel I! along crease lines I, and interlocking terminal or end panels II and 2| which remain integral 3; with wall panels 26 and 20' along crease lines a.

At the other end of the bottom panel I 0 is formed a stiiiening flange l4, which is fiexble upwardly along a crease line 0.

Top panels l6 and I6 are provided with simian larly located apertures l1, and top panel I6 is formed with a tongue I! extending therefrom and a slot II is formed along a portion of the juncthin line of panels l5 and I6.

Lomrside panels II and II and bottom panel I. are slightly shorter than panels l5 and I! so that the corners of the latter form jutting shoulders ll.

Panels II, 2|, II and II are severed from the adjacent ends of the side sections and panel 2| 40 is slotted to form a tongue 22 and panel II is provided with a slot 24 for accommodating said ton e. A

Blanks such as above described and illustrated in Fig. 3 may be packaged in quantities. in flat form, for shipment and storage. A container is set up from the flat form by flexing the side sections upwardly from the bottom panel along the crease lines a, flexing the stifl'enlng flange M upwardly along the crease line c, and flexing the girth section upwardly along the crease line 1). Hum fleflng the outer wall panels 20 and 2| along the crease lines I to bring them into abutment with the outer sides of the lower side panels ii and II, then flexing the end panel 2| along the crease line 9 and into contact with the outer' surface of the upwardly turned flange l4, and then flexing the panel 2| along crease line a into overlapping relationship with panel 2|, and finally sliding tongue 22 downwardly into slot 24. By this interlocking of panels 20 and 2|, the girth section is secured in its upright posi tion and forms a continuous upstanding rectangular rim around the bottom panel Ill and embraces the lower side panels H and II. The outer wall panels 20 and 20 are approximately the same length as the lower side panels H and I I, and the girth section is of slightly less height than the side panels I I and II, as a consequence of which the corners or ledges I 9 jut over the upper margins of end panels 2| and 2| and hold them against sliding upwardly on the side panels. The lower margin of tongue 22 passes down along the inner side of stiflening flange I4, and this, together with the fact that the corners of the girth section fit closely against the end margins of lower wall panels II and II, holds the girth against slipping downwardly. End wall 12 and stifl'ening flange ll stiffen bottom panel HI against flexing and outer wall panels 20 and 20 hold the side panels against falling outwardly.

The holder as thus set up affords a container having a box-like lower portion which is open at its top, and from which side panels l5 and I5 extend upwardly. A number of bottles or similar articles may be disposed in upright position in this receptacle, resting on bottom panel 80 and having their lower parts encompassed by the upstanding walls, so that they are retained against sliding of! of the bottom. The upper side panels I5 and i5 extend upwardly at the outer sides of the bottles, and, for stacking and crating, the top panel [6 is flexed downwardly onto the tops of the bottles, top panel 16' is flexed downwardly on top of panel l6, and tongue l8 slipped into slot l9, thus securing the top panels in such position. Thus the holder is provided with a flat top which is supported on the bottles and which permits a number of said packages to be stacked one upon another. As so assembled, the apertures ll coincide and afford an opening for insertion of the fingers to facilitate lifting of the package. In order to permit the package to be conveniently carried in the hand, the top panels may be flexed to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and the tongue II bent over the upper margin of panel IS, in which disposal the apertures II align and admit the fingers, so that the upper portions of the top panels form a handle by which the package may be carried.

If it is desired to keep the bottles from contacting one another,- a conventional form of cellular partition element, such as illustrated in Fig. 4, may be employed, same being made of paper board and having a longitudinal wall 30 and transverse walls 3! and being placed in the holder after it has been assembled as above described, wher it functions also to brace the lower portions of the side sections against flexing inwardly.

It will be observed that when this device is in its set-up condition, it retains its character as a receptacle or container even though no bottles or other articles are in it. It will he noted also that one or more of the bottles may be removed from it without requiring its being disassembled and without involving any mutilation of it whatever, As a'consequence, it is particularly adapted for re-use, as for returning the empty bottles and packaging another group. It likewise forms a convenient repository for the empty bottles in the household of the consumer, thus making it easy for him to save and return the empty bottles, a service which is desired by the bottler.

What I claim is:

1. A container for the packaging of bottles and the like, comprising an integral sheet cut and creased to form a bottom panel with upwardly flexible side sections at its side margins and an upwardly flexible girth section conjoined to it at one end, said girth section being creased to form an end panel at said end of the bottom panel and side wall panels adapted to abut the outer surface portions of the side sections, and interlocking end wall panels, said interlocking end wall panels being engageable to connect the ends of the girth section and to form an end wall along the other end of the bottom panel.

2. A container of the sort described comprising an integral sheet cut and creased to form a bottom panel and a pair of side sections which are flexible to positions where they extend upwardly from opposite side margins thereof and an upwardly flexible girth section integral with one end of the bottom panel, said girth section being creased to form an end wall panel along said end of the bottom panel and side wall panels flexible into engagement with the lower outer surfaces of the upstanding side sections and terminal wall panels flexible inwardly to form an end wall along the other end of the bottom panel, said terminal'wall panels being connectible to each other to secure the girth section in the form of an upstanding rim about the bottom panel and side sections and the side sections being provided at their upper ends with a handle whereby the set-up container may be carried.

3. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein an upwardly flexible flange is formed integral with the end of the bottom panel opposite said end wall panel, said flange, when in upstanding position, being positioned at the inner side of the interlocking end panels and serving to stiffen the bottom panel transversely.

4. A container of the sort described comprising an integral sheet cut and creased'to form a bottom panel and upwardly flexible side sections integral therewith along its opposite margins and a girth section integral with the bottom panel along one end thereof, said girth section being flexible upwardly from the bottom panel and being creased to form side wall 'and. terminal panels flexible about the outer sides of the side sections and the opposite end of the bottom panel, and the terminal panels being connectible to secure the girth section in the form of an upstanding rim, at least one of the side sections being provided with an outwardly extending portion which juts over'the upper marginof said rim.

5. A container of the sort described comprising a collapsible paper board device formed with a rectangular bottom panel having upwardly flexible side sections conjoined to its side margins, an upwardly flexible end wall panelconjoined with the bottom panel along one of its end margins, side wall panels conjoined to opposite end margins of the end wall panel and flexible into abutment with the upstanding side sections, terminal panels conjoined to ends of the side wall panels and flexible into overlapping relationship along the end margin of the bottom panel opposite said end wall panel, means being provided for securing said terminal panels to each other ing along one end of the bottom panel and side wall panels which are flexible into engagement with the outer sides or side sections and terminal panels which are i e s inwardly along the other end margin of the bottom panel, said terminal panels being provided with tongue and slot elements whereby they may be connected to each other, the height of said end and side panels being only a fraction of the height of the side sections and the side sections being creased at a distance above the side wall panels to form top panels which are flexible inwardly into overiapping relationship at a distance above the bottom panel, said side sections being provided with tongue and slot elements whereby said top panels may be secured in said inwardly flexed relationship to form a flat top for the container.

7. A container as specified in claim 6 and wherein an upwardly flexible flange is formed integrally with the bottom panel along its margin opposite said end wall panel.

8.A container as specified in claim 8 and wherein the side sections are formed with outwardiy projecting portions which jut over the upper margins of the upstanding terminal panels.

' 9. A container of the class described comprising a sheet creased to form a .bottom panel and upwardly flexible side sections at its opposite sides, said side sections being provided at their upper ends with a handle whereby the container may be carried, a girth forming an upstandingrim along the margins of the bottom panel and the outer sides of the upstanding side sections and serving to retain the side sections against falling outwardly, said girth being afllxed to an end marginal portion of the bottom panel and having interlocking parts connecting its ends to each other, and a partition member disposed within the upstanding rim and having portions extending transversely of the bottom panel and cooperating with the lower portions of the side sections to brace them against flexing inwardly.

10. A container as specified in claim 1 and including means for securing the free ends of the side sections to each other when in upstanding positions.

HENRY K. POWEIL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 2,17 2,090.

September 5, 1959.

HENRY K. POWELL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed'specific'ation of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, lines 3, hand 5, claim 5, strike out the comma and words said top panels being formed with apertures to afford a handle;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of October, a. n. 19 9.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents,

ing along one end of the bottom panel and side wall panels which are flexible into engagement with the outer sides or side sections and terminal panels which are i e s inwardly along the other end margin of the bottom panel, said terminal panels being provided with tongue and slot elements whereby they may be connected to each other, the height of said end and side panels being only a fraction of the height of the side sections and the side sections being creased at a distance above the side wall panels to form top panels which are flexible inwardly into overiapping relationship at a distance above the bottom panel, said side sections being provided with tongue and slot elements whereby said top panels may be secured in said inwardly flexed relationship to form a flat top for the container.

7. A container as specified in claim 6 and wherein an upwardly flexible flange is formed integrally with the bottom panel along its margin opposite said end wall panel.

8.A container as specified in claim 8 and wherein the side sections are formed with outwardiy projecting portions which jut over the upper margins of the upstanding terminal panels.

' 9. A container of the class described comprising a sheet creased to form a .bottom panel and upwardly flexible side sections at its opposite sides, said side sections being provided at their upper ends with a handle whereby the container may be carried, a girth forming an upstandingrim along the margins of the bottom panel and the outer sides of the upstanding side sections and serving to retain the side sections against falling outwardly, said girth being afllxed to an end marginal portion of the bottom panel and having interlocking parts connecting its ends to each other, and a partition member disposed within the upstanding rim and having portions extending transversely of the bottom panel and cooperating with the lower portions of the side sections to brace them against flexing inwardly.

10. A container as specified in claim 1 and including means for securing the free ends of the side sections to each other when in upstanding positions.

HENRY K. POWEIL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 2,17 2,090.

September 5, 1959.

HENRY K. POWELL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed'specific'ation of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, lines 3, hand 5, claim 5, strike out the comma and words said top panels being formed with apertures to afford a handle;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of October, a. n. 19 9.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

